System and method for producing conveyor belts having a wire rope core

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for producing conveyor belts having a rope core, for example a wire rope core, comprising at least one rope unwinding unit having a plurality of rope reels, from which the ropes to be embedded in the conveyor belt are unwound, a combining unit in which the ropes, which are under tensile stress and run in the longitudinal belt direction parallel to one another in one plane, are combined with one or more raw rubber webs to form a raw belt, and a vulcanization press in which the raw belt is vulcanized by means of pressure and/or heat forming the conveyor belt. Said system is characterized in that the rope unwinding unit is designed as a rope unwinding and tensioning unit, in which each rope is individually tensioned to the required production tension.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for making a conveyor belt having a cable core, having at least
 a cable unwinder having a plurality of cable spools from which the cables, to be embedded in the conveyor belt are unwound, 
 a combining device in which the cables, which are under tension and extend longitudinally of the belt parallel to one another in a plane, are combined with one or more raw rubber webs to form a raw belt, 
 a vulcanizing press in which the raw belt is vulcanized by pressure and/or heat to form the conveyor belt, the cable unwinder having a cable unwinder and tensioner in which each cable is individually tensioned to the required production tension, the individual cable spools each being with or connected to at least one tension actuator or tensioning drive that set a tensioning torque necessary for producing the required production tension of the cable, and 
 at least one cable-tension sensor in the cable unwinder and tensioner for measuring tensions of the individual cables at one respective measuring point on each cable. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the cable unwinder and tensioner is equipped with a control or regulation device that is connected to the cable-tension sensor or the measuring points on the one hand, and to the tension actuators on the other hand. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the tension actuators are designed as synchronous electric motors or are equipped with synchronous electric motors that together or each are equipped with or connected to at least one frequency converter. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a cable unwinding frame in which the cable spools are rotatably mounted and driven via the tension actuators or drives, wherein the cable-tension sensor is integrated into the cable unwinding frame at an exit-side end of the cable unwinding frame. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the measuring points are formed by measuring probes that are each associated with the respective cables. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the measuring probes are designed as measuring disks or measuring rollers that are each connected to or equipped with a respective load cell. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the cable-tension sensor has at least two guide rollers provided one downstream of the other in the transport direction and between which the measuring probe presses on the cables with a restoring force generated by the cables being measurable by the measuring probes. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , having a pull-through device downstream of the vulcanizing press, wherein the cables are tensionable to the production tension between the cable unwinder and tensioner and the pull-through device by the cable unwinder and tensioner. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an aligner having at least one spreader comb that changes a cable spacing and between the cable unwinder and tensioner and the combining device, the individual cables being deflected by different angles in the plane of the belt by the spreader comb. 
 
     
     
       10. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein each drive has at least one motor and at least one transmission having an output shaft, the cable spool being mounted directly on the output shaft that is integrated into the transmission and that projects from the transmission. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the output shaft that is integrated into the transmission projects from the transmission by a specified length that corresponds at least to or is greater than a width of the cable spool. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the output shaft is designed as a profiled shaft having a cross section that is not circular and for torque transmission engages with a complementary spool recess in the cable spool in a rotationally fixed in a positive fit. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the output shaft is an unprofiled smooth shaft having a circular cross section made of high-strength steel having a smooth surface. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the cable spool is mounted or rotationally fixed on the output shaft by a driver. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the driver is force-fitted on the output shaft by an annular tensioning element. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the cable spool is detachably attached to the driver in a positive-fit. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the driver has one or more journals that are eccentrically distributed around the shaft, which extend axially and engage with eccentric recesses in the cable spool. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the journals or the recess has/have a conical design, and has/have a cross section that increases with increasing depth. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the motor is designed as an electric motor. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the transmission is designed as a speed-reducing transmission. 
     
     
       21. A method of making a conveyor belt having a steel-cable core using an apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the cable tensions of the individual cables are measured, and are adjusted to a desired set-point value or set-point values taking the measuring results in the cable unwinder and tensioner into account. 
     
     
       22. The method according to  claim 21 , the cables being deflected to varying degrees in the plane of the belt in a spreader comb between the cable unwinder and the combining device by changing the cable tension of individual cables, wherein the cable tension in the cable unwinder and tensioner is set or regulated under the condition that the desired production tensions are provided by taking into account the changes in the cable tensions in the spreader comb downstream of the spreader comb.